Exploring alternatives to constantly buying new crap

I missed the farmers market this week in order to take the opportunity to visit the Resource Recovery Center and pick up some ReBlend paint. While there, I also managed to pick up some screws which look about the right size for reattaching the window shutter that came off, some washers for for making Roman shades, a small terra cotta window pot (made in Italy), and a couple of other goodies. (This was all free stuff, folks! Dumpster diving without any of the inconveniences.) There was still time to go to the farmers market afterwards, but I made a mistake thinking I could lug around a 3.5 gallon tub of paint from the pick-up area to the bus stop some blocks away. Even switching arms regularly and making frequent stops to rest, I just wanted to sit back for a while.

So in the end, this morning I made a one stop shopping trip to pick up tons of goodies.

One Stop: Wheatsville Co-op

Acorn squash, 1.50 pounds: $1.79

Beets, 0.80 pounds: $1.59

Broccoli, 1.30 pounds: $2.33

Salad mix, 0.24 pounds: $1.68

Carrots, 1.51 pounds: $2.70

Kale, 1 bunch: $2.49

Navel oranges, 1.40 pounds: $2.51

Cucumber, 0.92 pounds: $0.91

Golden delicious apples, 0.78 pounds: $1.79

Roma tomatoes, 1.03 pounds: $1.33

Gala apples, 0.79 pounds: $2.36

Pink lady apples, 0.68 pounds: $2.24

Orange bell pepper, 0.30 pounds: $0.90

White onion, 0.77 pounds: $1.38

Valencia oranges, 0.84 pounds: $0.83

Ataulfo mango, x1: $0.99

Peaches, 0.63 pounds: $2.39

Garlic, 0.13 pounds: $0.78

Yukon potatoes, 0.92 pounds: $1.37

Bagels, x2: $1.98

Nut & Oat bread, 1 loaf: $3.69

Whole Wheat bread, 1 loaf: $3.69

Toilet paper, x2: $1.58

Peanuts, 0.91 pounds: $4.81

Banana chips, 0.12 pounds: $0.41

Crunch peanut butter, 0.70 pounds: $4.89

Soymilk: $3.69

Smart dogs: $3.99

Total: $53.48

I expected the total to be higher for my packed little shopping cart, but there were a lot of good sales this week (yay, extra bread for the freezer) and it was that time of the year that I got my special 10% off member discount. My only regret is that I couldn’t find raisins in the bulk bins, which is why I ended up getting the banana chips. Oh, and the fact that organic broccoli at the co-op comes with both a rubber brand and unrecyclable tag. But, well, I really wanted some broccoli for my pizza. Yumm.